M46P Atlas
The M46P Atlas Main Battle Tank was an advanced armoured vehicle class used by The Royal Allegiance during the Swarm War. History While the Atlas was first introduced in 2734, a year into the Swarm War, its design had been in the pipeline since at least ten years previously. The Atlas was the most technologically advanced armoured vehicle in the galaxy at the time of its conception, being the first Allegiance vehicle armed solely with Particle Cannons. State-of-the-art armour systems, instantaneous battlefield commands and functions stemming from a powerful computer system, and the Allegiance's most powerful ground vehicle-mounted energy weapons all combined to create one of the most potent and powerful forces in the Allegiance armed forces. Alongside the Triton-class Heavy Destroyer and AL-56 Flashfighter, it went down into the history books as the reason it took The Swarm over one hundred years to breach the core of Allegiance space, despite their massive numerical superiority. While far less numerous than the M560A2 Crusader, the Atlas amassed a far greater reputation and was to the Therans a symbol of great hope and defiance in the face of a superior, terrifying enemy. Role The Atlas was designed for a wide variety of battlefield roles, including but not limited to engaging infantry and armoured vehicles. Firmly suited to combat in both wide open spaces and urban areas, the Atlas was capable of engaging and destroying even the largest and most well armoured vehicles due to its advanced next-generation weaponry. Commonly the centre of any armoured division, the Atlas was the most powerful tank deployed to fight The Swarm as well as the least numerous. There was one Atlas to every five Crusaders, and as a result the former was often given specialised battlefield tasks or the most crucial roles. While maintaining a faster speed than the Crusader, it was also several times more maneuverable because of its unique anti-grav propulsion system, which allowed it to hover off the ground. It could move in any lateral direction with the same acceleration, giving it superior agility to other main battle tanks and greater speed. Better protected than the Crusader, it was smaller too, and possessed a lower number of armaments. However, it was armed with Particle Cannons, which were far more effective than projectile or explosive weapons and so allowed fewer weapons to be mounted on the tank without a drop in effectiveness. In addition, ammunition for particle weapons could be stored in the form of energy, allowing enough ammunition for months of continuous combat to be stored without the need for space-consuming ammunition stores. As well as this, there was no risk of destruction of the tank from explosion of the main ammunition store should it be struck by enemy fire. The tank was equally capable in large or enclosed environments, and adept at engaging infantry, armour and even all slow and some fast-moving aircraft. Design The Atlas was remarkably small compared to many other main battle tanks, meaning it could mount more armour for the same speed. The main cannon and coaxial light Particle Cannon protruded from the front of the compact turret, which was mounted in a central position on the heavily armoured chassis. The turret and body was highly angular, deflecting many flat-trajectory projectiles with no damage. Four box-like objects flanked the main body, providing lift and directional thrust, while remaining well protected. On top of the main turret was an IRONHAMMER Weapon Mount, which could accommodate many Allegiance heavy weapons. Armament The Atlas's primary armament was a DX52 Particle Cannon, the largest energy weapon mounted to an armoured fighting vehicle. It was capable of destroying even the most advanced and heavily shielded and armoured targets with a single blow, rarely requiring two to obliterate a target. Due to the nature of the Allegiance's Particle Cannon technology, which accelerated particles in subspace to near-infinite speeds, the cannon had an incredible range, limited only to a planet's curvature or topographical features such as mountain ranges. Discharging an incredible amount of energy, it outperformed all projectile weapons even with their multiple ammunition types. Small groups of Atlas MBTs were even capable of bringing down small warships in atmosphere or low orbit. Due to its flawless precision, made possible due to astoundingly advanced computer systems, the Atlas was capable of bringing down even the largest ground support vehicles, and was able to destroy fighters and other fast moving aircraft in its field of fire due to its accuracy, range and power. Problems plaguing earlier Particle Cannons such as cooling and power supply were solved, allowing increased power and a much higher rate of fire. Offering additional firepower alongside the main gun was a DP41 Light Particle Cannon. While mounted on the same stabilising platform as the main gun, it could elevate up to 60 degrees independently and swivel to the sides, allowing it a wider range of fire. It fired extremely rapidly, and was efficient at cutting down swathes of infantry and unarmoured vehicles. It was powered separately from the main cannon, allowing both to operate without impeding each other. Providing defence against light vehicles and infantry was one DP55 Particle Cannon, mounted on top of the main turret. Instead of the traditional slip ring system, the tank mounted a powered upper hatch that rotated with the gun mount. This allowed the two-section hatch and the gun shield to provide a combined 300 degrees of armoured protection against small arms for the secondary gunner. Digital vision blocks allowed 360 degree thermal vision, and the weapon could be operated with the hatch closed as an internally operated remote 'Overhead Weapons System'. The weapon was mounted on a quick dismount pedestal designed as a crew defense weapon should they be forced to bail out and take the weapon with them. This system allowed for a dismounting crew to retain some level of defence as well as providing excellent close in support against enemy personnel while mounted. The DP55 had a rate of fire of 1000 shots per minute and could fire for a continuous three minutes before needing to pause to allow cooling. Alternatively, the DP55 could be replaced by a turreted M229 Portable Anti Armour Weapon. While smaller and with a lower rate of fire, the M229 provided excellent protection against all armoured vehicles. It could not, however, function as well as the DP55 against infantry, as the latter was designed for anti infantry and light armour purposes. Equipping the M46P with the M229 decreased its defensive capabilities, though enhanced its offensive abilities dramatically. When powered by the tank itself, the M229 gained a much higher rate of fire than when not, and this, coupled with its superb ranged characteristics, made it a perfect additional heavy anti armour weapon. Both these weapons were mounted onto the IRONHAMMER Weapon Mount, which could accept many of the Allegiance's heavy infantry and light vehicle weapons. Though this was the case, the most widely used weapons were the DP55 and M229. Armour The armour of the Atlas was near impervious to directed energy, chemical energy and kinetic energy fire, using advanced materials to both increase the tank's resistance to damage and decrease its chances of detection by the enemy. Arranged in layers, the armour restricted the tank's mobility somewhat, but was comparable to some warships in terms of the protection it offered. Weaponry of less advanced races very often left not a scratch on the tank, including dedicated and powerful anti-tank weapons. However, the unorthodox weapon systems of The Swarm were slightly more capable at damaging these tanks. In addition, the armour was designed to protect the tank from plasma fire, magnetic acceleration weapons, projectiles and warheads; not the huge war beasts employed by the Swarm. The primary layer of the armour was an energy-ablative, superconductive nanomaterial layer impregnated with electrical circuits. The layer effectively trapped most of the energy from enemy fire, whether that be kinetic, chemical or others. While not providing the perfect defense, its primary function was to feed this energy to the layer below. This was a variable property, energy reactive layer of extremely advanced nanomaterial whose properties changed when exposed to massive energy. In short, the armour became stronger when under fire. This extremely adaptable and useful ability stemmed largely from the Forerunners, who employed a similar technology in their Keyships, renowned for their ability to withstand concentrated, localised fire even without shielding. The secondary layer relied upon the primary layer functioning efficiently for it to operate. As protection was only a secondary function for the primary layer of energy, it did not have an incredible resistance to enemy fire, leaving that to the lower levels. As a result, over time the effectiveness of the first and second layers decreases, The more damage the primary layer takes, the less effective the second layer is. Eventually, after heavy and concentrated fire, the effectiveness of these layers was rendered nil. However, tanks rarely exposed themselves to so much fire to allow this to happen, only rarely occurring in extended and intensive combat arenas. These two layers were collectively called ERA, or Energy Regenerative Armour. First introduced in 2647, this armour gradually became more widely used; by the time of the Swarm War virtually every combat vehicle was equipped with it. Underneath these primary protective layers were more conventional armour materials, which, underneath the removable first two layers, were modular and easily replaced. They were part of an armour technology system called ACE Armour or Advanced Composite Endurance Armour. The first layer of the composite modular armour helped hold the outer armour together, and allowed some slight flexibility yet superior density to engage various threats. Resin-impregnated carbon nanotube fabric was wrapped around the composite armour to allow the best small arms protection and structural strength. Below the outer layer was the primary anti-tank round defense in the event the energy-ablative armour was penetrated; a single piece poured Ceramic DCP plate. The Ceramic Plate was sandwiched between two plates of CVT (Chromium Vanadium Tungsten) and Austenitic Steel alloy. The whole assembly then underwent a triaxial-prestressing method in which the preformed, porous ceramic material was soaked in a bath of molten metal, resulting in super-dense material. As the metal cooled, the composite of three plates (one of ceramic, and two of alloy) compressed, increasing both the density and compressibility of the composite dramatically. This process worked at relatively low temperatures and therefore was more economical than most comparative methods. The resulting compound could be molded into complex shapes and offered improved protection at significantly lower weight. This by itself was rather effective but was only secondary to the ablative layers and was superseded by other armour layers beneath. Below the outer plate were several overlapping Ceramic chevron-shaped panels. These chevrons forced any round that happened to penetrate the outer plate to then penetrate the chevrons at a much higher oblique angle than the outer plate. This increased the armour's effectiveness not only by changing the penetrator's vector, but by increasing the thickness it had to penetrate before reaching the interior and disrupting even tandem warheads and delayed timer high explosive rounds. These chevrons were suspended in an elasticised rubber-like polymer that reduced the shock to the overall plate and transferred much of the impact energy outwards, reducing the stresses on the impact plates and feeding the energy-reactive armour layers. This material also helped break up penetrating HEAT warheads and KE penetrators by causing the chevrons to move around under the force of impact, deforming it and degrading its overall performance. In addition, it provided a reliable defence against HESH rounds, which were still in utilised despite a decline in usage. Backing the composite materials was a second composite Alloy/Ceramic plate forcing the penetrator to again punch its way through at a different vector, forcing the round to fold or break up before it can defeat the final plate. The whole composite was then sealed in a wrap of carbon nanotube fibres to absorb any remaining spall and attached to the non-modular, base armour of the Atlas's hull in sections for easy replacement. The underlying, non-modular base armour for the M46P was produced using a process in which sets of inexpensive, thermodynamically compatible ceramic powders (Boron Carbide and Titanium Carbide) were blended with thermoplastic polymer binders, then co-extruded to form a fibre. This fibre composite was first braided then woven into the shape of the desired component. The fabricated component was then stacked and pyrolyzed to remove the polymer binder and hot-pressed to obtain the base preformed ceramic material for final processing. This preformed ceramic matrix was still somewhat porous, and, though it was extremely hard and rather ductile, it was still rather fragile. The preform was then soaked in a liquid metal alloy bath. The preform absorbed the liquid metal, which then reacted with the ceramic powder to form a new ceramic compound that filled in pore spaces. The result was a plate with a larger internal solid volume, but the exact same external shape and dimensions as the original preform. This method required reaction temperatures of only around 1,300°C, compared to the 2,000°C required for traditional methods to form high melting point covalently-bonded ceramics. Because the final plate maintained the shape of the original porous ceramic, the need for post-process reshaping was removed. Following this, the material was condensed using gravitational field manipulation, achieving a 82% smaller material for the same weight. This meant that the material was much more usable and more resistant to enemy attacks. Kinetic and chemical weapons had absolutely no effect on the material. The finished composite was extremely dense, lightweight (comparable to a similar strength material) and was ductile enough to resist severe impact stress, while providing excellent thermal properties and being easy to manufacture and replace when installed in a modular system. Afterwards, the material was softened, or in some cases liquefied by ion fusers. Then, as the resulting alloy cooled, it was bombarded by charged-particle vibrating waves. This dramatically improved the bonding strength of the molecules and gave the armor incredible resiliency. This again contributed to the impresive impenetrability of ACE Armour. The finished composite was extremely dense, lightweight (comparable to a similar strength material) and was ductile enough to resist severe impact stress, while providing excellent thermal properties and being easy to manufacture and replace when installed in a modular system. The crew compartment was protected against anti-personnel mines by means of a reinforced composite floor plate, and beveled or angled edges that deflected the blast from large anti-tank mines outwards. Nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) warfare protection was integrated in the crew compartment air conditioning system via collective overpressure and air filter systems. Backup was provided by the crew's individual battle armour, which was equipped with limited NBC resistance. The infrared signature was minimised through special exhaust ducting and 'thermal black' resin coating on the internal compartments. The power pack compartment was fitted with a halon fire extinguishing and warning system, which could be automatically or manually triggered by detection systems, crewmembers via MPHDs or through HUD neural links. Shielding The M46P featured several shielding systems, each designed to protect the tank and keep it operational, in turn improving its lethality. As a main battle tank, the Atlas benefited from some of the most powerful shields of any Allegiance vehicle, able to resist even some warship-mounted weapons. The first type of shielding the Atlas employed was the Type I Protective Energy Barrier. The shield was projected in an ovular shape around the tank, minimising the surface area needed to protect the entire tank ans so maximising its power. The shield was resistant to 750 gigajoules of bombardment in the space of one minute, rendering the tank immune to directed energy weapons, missiles, shells and kinetic energy weapons. The tank also featured a second shield generator of the same type, though much smaller and less powerful. This shield was contoured to the exact shape of the Atlas's hull, though projected a few molecules underneath the tank's hull. The field was then extended outwards, increasing the tank's structural integrity by several times. Countermeasures In terms of countermeasures, the Atlas made use of the most advanced and powerful systems to improve its survivability. The main system was an M56 Point Defense Weapon System. It was used to intercept incoming ordnance at very high speeds, increasing the survivability of the vehicle. It offered virtually impervious resistance to shells both direct and indirect fire, missiles and other guided warheads, and grenades, mortars and other munitions. It was ineffective against energy weapons. The M56 featured a unique 360 degree simultaneous fire, utilising a new and advanced form of Particle Cannon which was channelled without use of a barrel. The device provided all-round defence against incoming munitions. It was linked to the primary sensor and targeting arrays of the vehicle it was mounted to, though possessed its own shorter ranged sensor systems in case the tank was disabled. Upon detecting an incoming projectile, the device would fire a high-powered, tightly concentrated particle beam using a very narrow beam confinement, to focus the energy in the smallest possible area. It could detect, fire and destroy any incoming ordnance within a 9km radius within 0.025 seconds, defeating even the fastest missiles and shells before they came near the vehicle. The weapon was highly powered enough to allow destruction of even armoured torpedoes and missiles, though was ineffective against armoured vehicles. It could be used against infantry but this meant it was unable to engage incoming fire, which was its primary function. The device had a 99.975% success rate in defeating incoming ordnance. The basic principle of the weapon allowed for near-luminal speeds, which meant the weapon could engage targets at almost all visual ranges and with incredible speed and precision. The Atlas was also fitted with a MD8 Integrated Laser Countermeasure System, which consisted of a combined Laser Rangefinder (LR), Laser Warning Receiver (LWR), and Laser Self-Defense Weapon (LSDW). The MD8 was arranged with the majority of its components below the armour, in order to protect them from enemy fire. It fired a high-powered laser to directly attack the enemy weapon's optics and gunner. Arranged in a vertical fashion between the two internal ammunition stays of the turret bustle, the MD8 used a multi-wavelength beam splitter in front of a high powered laser emitter, which allowed for a single high powered beam to be split into multiple beams each with their own coded wavelength. Above the laser and beam splitter sat a nitrogen filled chamber that could be raised and lowered as the battle permitted, to protect the somewhat sensitive unit from hostile fire. At the top of this chamber was a cylinder of clear bulletproof material, consisting of layers of polycarbonate laminate. This allowed for some protection from battlefield hazards without interfering with the suite’s effectiveness. Sitting in this chamber was a conical reflector, designed to allow several split beams to be directed at multiple targets up to the LSDW’s highest power. This arrangement allowed for multiple sources to not only be targeted (for direction of VARs) or to neutralise several enemy vehicles simultaneously. In this arrangement the ILCS did not require a high rate slewing assembly as the rate of traverse could be nearly at the speed of light, depending on the number of beams in use. Separate from this system but reliant upon it for function, the Atlas was also equipped with a MA70 Vertical Automated Rocket Launcher, or VAR Launcher. This was designed as an active offensive system to take out infantry and light vehicle anti-tank crews up to 2300m away from the vehicle. The system provided a lethal reactive response against enemy anti-tank crews instead of merely taking out the projectile. Instead of intercepting the projectile itself the system was designed to take out the launcher or its crew before they were capable of firing off a shot. Mounted in four tube vertical launchers on both sides of the tank, The VAR system used the MD8 ILCS integrated laser rangefinder/warning/self-defence device installed on the Atlas to locate the threatening tank, engaged and temporarily disabled by the MD8. Rather than wasting this opportunity, the VAR launcher used the MD8's laser reflection to designate the target, and home in on the launching site or vehicle, and destroy the vehicle or launcher. The MD8 system used a vertically arranged refracted beam to be able to not only illuminate several different targets simultaneously (with different assigned wave bands) but due to the compact nature of the above armour section (mainly the reflector assembly) the system was capable of being retracted to protect it during transit or from battlefield damage. Each VAR was about 120mm long, and 71mm in diameter. Propulsion was provided by an 8 stick smokeless powder rocket motor with direction control provided by four solenoid-controlled airbrake systems at the rear of the projectile. The warhead of the VAR was a 3kg High Explosive fragmentation type and contained 500 tiny advanced alloy spheres of the same superconducting material as Energy Regenerative Armour, set in a plasma-based explosive compound with trace amounts of antimatter, generating a lethal radius of 40m with a casualty radius out to 200m+. The system was able to operate both reactively or command controlled and could be launched individually or in salvos for a saturation effect. As with all Allegiance guided munitions, the rocket featured a powerful though expendable artificial intelligence, which was able to almost instantaneously make calculations and judgements based on the target's profile and type. It was also adept at rejecting decoys such as flares and electronic jamming systems to ensure hit and kill on the actual target. Engine and Powerplant Main power was provided by a Micro Zero-Point Generator, very similar to those employed in most Allegiance armoured combat vehicles. It provided more than enough power for the Atlas to operate all of its heavily energy-intensive systems, while maintaining enough to propel the tank at a maximum speed of an impressive 120kph in all directions. Theoretically the generator had an indefinite operational running time. However in reality, it required maintainance every several months or so due to the dangerous nature of the energy source. The Atlas was therefore capable of extended independent operations, though the tank rarely remained in the field for such lengths of time. In addition, the tank was eqipped with a silent-running auxiliary power pack, in the form of a Micro Fusion Reactor, which provided supplemental power to the system. This allowed a backup power source in the event the primary one was disabled. The power source provided only a small percentage of the Zero-Point generator's power, though as a result using this generator made the tank less noisy, less prominent on sensors and more stealthy. While in this immobile 'silent' mode the tank was required to power down most non-essential systems, leaving only imperative sensors, countermeasures, sights and weapons operational. Sensors, Detection and other Systems Stealth Features Operational History Variants Several variants of the Atlas were produced, providing individual roles that they were specifically adapted to. Many, such as light tank, and APC, already existed within the Allegiance arsenal, but were not as advanced, or, for example, were not propelled by anti-gravity. Others, such as combat reconnaissance vehicle, did not exist in the Allegiance armed forces and so the Atlas variant provided the sole example of that type. M47P Warden The M47P Warden was a light tank based around the basic chassis of the Atlas. While less heavily armed, it was faster and more agile, and more suited to engaging fast, light vehicles and light/heavy infantry. It saw the DX55 Particle Cannon replaced with an L82 Cannon, the coaxial DP41 moved to the top of the turret to provide 360 degree protection, and a DP55 turret on the rear of the vehicle. It was heavily used in urban combat where its wide field of fire and agility gave it the advantage over other armoured vehicles. M48 Stalker The M48 Stalker was a Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) based on the Atlas. It saw most of its weapons removed and its interior gutted to make way for advanced stealth devices. As standard, it was armed only with one DP55 and one DP41 Particle Cannon, mounted on IRONHAMMER Weapon Mounts. It was slightly less armoured than the Warden and Atlas, and was faster than both. M49 Raider The M49 Raider was a heavily modified Atlas used as an advanced Infantry Fighting Vehicle. While it was less widespread than the Marksman IFV, it was more well armed and slightly faster, not to mention being able to cross most difficult terrains due to its anti gravity propulsion. The hull was extended and raised to make room for up to 6 fully armed combat troops. It was armed with one L82 Cannon, one DP55 and one DP41 Particle Cannon. While externally it was quite similar to the Atlas, in reality the entire interior had been stripped and altered to accommodate a troop bay. M50 Marauder The M50 Marauder was a heavily modified Atlas variant designed for Anti aircraft purposes. As with the Raider, its interior was entirely reconstructed to turn it into a full artillery unit, rather than a converted main battle tank. It was equipped with four modified DP41 Particle Cannons, with an effective range of 15km and a combined rate of fire of 5,200 shots per minute. It was also fitted with an 8-tube vertical missile launcher, inside the rear of the gutted turret. it carried one DP55 Particle Cannon for defence.